Bristol City players get a screen test after Hawthorns horror show against West Brom
Bristol City boss Gary Johnson will today hand his players video recordings of the 4-1 loss at West Bromwich Albion and challenge them to assess their performances.
Johnson set the screen test after watching his team contribute mightily to their own downfall on a rain-lashed afternoon at the Hawthorns.
Albion scored twice at the start of each half to confirm their superiority and move back to the top of the Coca-Cola Championship. And Johnson afterwards emerged from a heated dressing-room debate and admitted his side had been second best.
And he attributed City’s heaviest defeat since they were beaten by the same scoreline at the Hawthorns on Boxing Day 2007 to rank bad defending.
Offering a brutally honest assessment, Johnson said: “We have to hold our hands up and say we were beaten by the better side. But we cannot forget about it and ignore what happened.
“We defended very poorly at the start of the game and at the start of the second half and you cannot afford to make basic mistakes against teams at this level.
“Teams that have just come out of the Premier League and have Premier League players are going to punish you if you are below par, and we gave West Brom a two-goal start and made them look good.”
He added: “The players will all be given their own individual videos on Monday to see what they have done to affect the game, either in a negative or positive way.
“I’ll be asking them to look at what they have and haven’t done and to assess themselves. They need to ask themselves if they could have done any more.
“Hopefully, they will be honest enough to see where they have gone wrong and then come to me and say ‘sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.’
“Those who have not quite performed need to say ‘sorry, I didn’t affect the game as I should have done. They need to know why we’ve come to West Brom and been beaten 4-1.
“Some of them just haven’t done enough. They were out there but they didn’t affect the game. We knew we had to affect the game with our tackles, our runs and our cleverness. But all that happened was that West Brom did to us exactly what we had wanted to do to them.”
At least City refused to give in and Scotland international midfielder Paul Hartley restored a degree of pride when ramming home a brilliant free-kick seven minutes from time.
Johnson said: “We may have been poor, but our strikers had a lot of the ball and we had three or four chances to score a goal.
“There were a few small positives but, saying that, our strikers have to score goals when the chance arises and our defenders have to keep the ball out of our net.
“We also have to create opportunities while denying the opposition and neither of those things happened in this game.”
Johnson felt a lack of individual and collective responsibility was also to blame for City’s first defeat in eight games since September 26.
He explained: “Our defenders were too timid and there was no authority in what they were doing.
“We never stopped the ball coming forward and then we are 1-0 down because of our own poor play. No-one was passing information on, no-one was screaming or shouting and no-one was trying to defend a high line. Our passes were weak and so was some of our tackling.
“I talked about it at half time and then the same thing happens at the start of the second half. Players have to take responsibility.”
Bristol City are eight points behind the new leaders, down to 10th in the table and could find themselves 10 points adrift of Newcastle if they beat Preston North End tonight.
Johnson admitted: “We have to believe we can still catch the top two, but we have to do more on those occasions when we play them. We’ve beaten Middlesbrough and drawn at Newcastle, but against West Brom we didn’t do enough and we didn’t look like a side that can finish in the top two.”
Johnson and chairman Steve Lansdown will address supporters at the club’s annual meeting, to be staged in the Dolman Exhibition Hall at Ashton Gate tonight (7pm).
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Simon Cox gets the better of Bristol City captain Louis Carey at the Hawthorns
13 Comments
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by Marcus, Wilts
Tuesday, November 24 2009, 9:24AM
“@Jibbywib man.
I suggest you read what I wrote again.
I suggested Rob was a chav inbred for replying with no substance and only pointless insults.
If it was aimed at you I would of said @Jibbywib man!?
I always enjoy your contributions regardless of how off the mark they are.”
by Lawrence, Nanaimo B/C Canada,
Tuesday, November 24 2009, 12:47AM
“Hey Gary old buddy ! !
[PLEASE] When the City [my team] wins say , , 3/2 or 4/2 or even2/1 ,
could you send [US] a tape or DVD of the game ,,
l say again [PLEASE] a City, long time supporter ,”
by Groundhog Day, USA
Monday, November 23 2009, 7:56PM
“The fact is we were outclassed on the day by a side which will be certainly there at the end of the season contending for promotion.
The main concern is Sno was played on the wing out of position again to cover the hole that Mcindoe has left . The Seven Corners we had to their three and the fact our goal came from a set piece shows we are sadly lacking a good centre forward to complement Maynard. No doubt Gary will "shuffle his pack" again (yawn) to cause more confusion to a already disjointed team.
Paul & Marcus the truth you speak only hurts and provokes reaction from the blind faithful.
Jibbeywib and Mike.
Birds of a feather flock together
just like idiots.
Rob of Bristol nothing relevant as ever to say - like Rumpole of the Bailey I see you are trying to hold court just like him with no facts.”
by Glenn, Backwell
Monday, November 23 2009, 7:32PM
“Eh, I thought Marcus was directing his chav comment at the spotty chav Rob, and not Jibbywib; who also writes under the name Bob. So is Bob also Rob-the-chav, Jibbywib and Mike?”
by Jibbywib, Cotham
Monday, November 23 2009, 5:56PM
“Marcus - I would guess that you are not a follower of Taoist or Buddhist philosophy as you seem to have less patience than an empty hospital.
My post wasn't empty or pathetic, I just have a different point of view to you, one of tolerence, belief and positivity rather than impatience, doubt & negativity.
I concurred with Mike as he consistenly shares my viewpoint on the game in his posts and comes across as someone who has suffered the hard times and is aware that Rome wasn't built in a day.
Finally, suggesting I come across as a chav inbred then adding two kisses appears to sum up rather neatly the discourse between you and I.”